Mero nam Clara ho

"Mero nam Clara ho" I said to the taxi driver. At first he looked at me as if I was some kind of alien but then he suddenly started smiling and laughed. That was my first words in Nepali on my first day in Kathmandu.

Earlier that day we had our first lesson in Nepali language. It was something which I had very much been looking forward to and therefore I was very eager to go out in the city and use it. We learned some basic words and phrases and were now ready to go out and practice.

We went to the part of Kathmandu called Thamel because we wanted to book hotel and transportation in the city of Pokhara. We are going to Pokhara this weekend for hiking and sightseeing. It was on our way home I had my very first experience with Nepali language. Me and some of the other girls decided to take a taxi home instead of walking all the way. It was Elin who made the first move. She tried to ask for the drivers name in Nepali. At first he didn't understand what we were trying to say but slowly he began to understand and started smiling and laughed kindly at us. He asked for our names as well. "Mero nam Clara ho" I said. I was very proud of myself for saying my very first words in Nepali, even though it wasn't that bog a deal now I come to think of it.

In the evening Vibe asked us to join a local bar with her. When we got there we were the only ones inside. They played Lady Gaga and Rihanna and the whole group ened up ordering Carlsberg beers. So much for wanting to feel local.